I think that Leonard Wright Jr. is one of the twentieth century’s most overlooked fly fishing authors. Well known to his contemporaries, his works have been “lost” over time. I found his first book, “Fishing the Dry Fly as a Living Insect” (1972), in a used bookstore in Ennis, Montana. It had a musty, old-library odor […]
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Category: Fly Fishing Literature
In addition to writing my own book, “The Ramblings of an Aging Angler”, I am an avid reader of the fly fishing literature. The fly fishing literature offers the largest volume of sporting literature, dating back to 1496. I find it fascinating to explore the older writings, and relive the development of our sport of fly fishing.
In my reviews, I cover many current and older writings. My intent is to spark an interest in others to spend some time enjoying and learning from the fly fishing literature.
a guide to the fly fishing literature
“Tactical Fly Fishing”- a Book Review
“Tactical Fly Fishing”, by Devin Olsen, is the latest book by a member of the Fly Fishing Team USA. Like previous team members’ books, it details the various methods of Euro Nymphing, or tight-line nymphing. However, this is still a valuable addition to the current fly fishing literature. The real strength of Olsen’s work lies […]
“Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout”, a book review
Another of my favorite author’s is Charles E. Brooks. He hales from an earlier era, and wrote several books, two of which I have read. I particularly liked “Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout” (1976). It is illustrated by Dave Whitlock. Although concise, the author summarizes ten nymphing methods employed at that time. In addition, he […]
“Trout”, a book review
Ernest Schwiebert is probably my favorite fly fishing author. He began fly fishing at the age of eight. During his lifetime, he fished with most all the famous Catskill fly fishermen. They regarded him as a pre-eminent colleague at an early age. He authored five books on fly fishing, three of which I have read. […]
“Moving Water”, a Book Review
In “Moving Water”, Dave Hall, fly fisher, author and artist, combines his talents to reflect upon experiences along his life-long fly fishing journey, shared with friends and family. The verses come in snippets, leaving much unsaid. The accompanying misty, muted paintings portray the peace, tranquility and beauty to be found in nature and friendships. The […]
“Fly-Fishing Heresies”, a book review
I recently found another book written by one of my favorite fly- fishing authors, Leonard M. Wright, Jr. Its title is “Fly-Fishing Heresies“. Wright is the heretic in this work, tackling or challenging some of the many fly-fishing dogmas. Referencing a previous work, he begins by refuting the dogma that a dry fly must […]
Book Review: “The Fly”
Anyone interested in the history of fly fishing should give “The Fly”, by Dr. Andrew Herd, a read. He covers 2,000 years of fly fishing history. His writing style is engaging, with wit and bits of humor. Unlike most such books, he includes non-fishing information. This helps one appreciate fly fishing’s place during different time-periods […]
Book Review: Nymph Masters
Trout spend the majority of their time feeding subsurface, specifically on nymphs. Thus serious trout fishermen strive to become better at nymph fishing. I previously regarded Charles Brooks’ “Nymph Fishing for Larger Trout” as the best summary available on the topic. But after reading Jason Randall’s most recent book, “Nymph Masters, Fly-Fishing Secrets From Expert […]
Book Review: Finding Trout in all Conditions
“Finding Trout in all Conditions” is a recent publication (2016) by Boots Allen. In it, he attempts to remove some of the mysticism from nature’s forces, their effects upon streams and fish, and trout in particular. His major source of information is the 1600 days he has spent fishing for trout. He kept detailed diaries […]
Book Review- “Lore of Trout Fishing”, by Art Lee
The warm weather and waters in Montana this summer have limited the trout-fishing opportunities recently. So I perused my library shelves, and plucked Art Lee’s “Lore of Trout Fishing” off the shelf. Art served as editor-at-large for “Fly Fisherman”, “The Atlantic Salmon Journal”, and “Wild Steelhead & Salmon”. He contributed to the fly fishing literature […]
Halford and Skues: Two Book Reviews
Halford and Skues- both, legendary fly fishers and authors in a time gone by. Like many fly fishers who angle for trout, I am enamored of the writings of fly fishermen from the latter part of the Victorian era. It was during that period that much of what we know and practice today was first discovered […]
Fly Fishing Book Reviews
It’s wintertime, a historic blizzard blew through last week, and days fit for fly fishing seem few and far between. For me, it’s a time to read some new books, and to re-read some oldies. In this article, “Fly Fishing Book Reviews”, I will review several great books that I found this past year. Fishing […]
Fly Fishing History- the Overlooked Venables
For any who were hoping that this article would be about a forgotten or overlooked trout stream, a paradise for adventuresome fly fishers, you may be disappointed. The “Overlooked Venables” that I am referring to is Colonel Robert Venables, not a trout stream. He was an English gentleman who authored “The Experienced Angler”, published in […]